ILLNESS AND INJURY AMONG FEMALE EMPLOYEES AT THE US DEPARTMENT-OF-ENERGY

There are few studies that examine the overall morbidity of women in i ndustrial settings, Results from a surveillance program of 21,294 fema le employees of the US Department of Energy for a 12-month period are presented. Illness/absence data of 5 or more workdays were collected f rom an epidemiologic surveillance program at eight sites. Approximatel y II % of the workforce reported an absence of 5 or more workdays in t he 12-month period, The five most common disease categories accounted for 70% of all illness or injury absences among female workers. These were respiratory illnesses (22.1%), musculoskeletal disorders (13.2%), injury and poisonings (13.0%), genitourinary illnesses (9.8%), and di gestive illnesses (8.8%). Sprains and strains were most frequently att ributable to workplace conditions.